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Acts

  1. Lesson One
    Overview of Acts (Acts 1–2, 7, 22–28)
    22 Activities
  2. Lesson Two
    A Gospel for Jews and then Gentiles
    23 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  3. Lesson Three
    The Gospel and Restoration
    25 Activities
  4. Lesson Four
    The Apostolic Church
    36 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  5. Lesson Five
    Author and Audience
    25 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  6. Course Wrap-Up
    Course Completion
    1 Activity
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    1 Assessment

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Acts Author and Audience Behind | The Death of Agrippa in Josephus and Acts, Part 2
Lesson 5, Activity 15

Behind | The Death of Agrippa in Josephus and Acts, Part 2

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Notice similar features of both accounts, Acts and Josephus, in the table below.

Josephus Ant. 19.343-50Acts 12:22-23
LocationAgrippa was in Caesarea. (19.343)Agrippa was in Caesarea. (12:19)
Agrippa’s garmentMentions Agrippa’s glorious robe as a cause for praise (19.343-44)Mentions Agrippa’s royal apparel, though without details that show why this is important (12:21)
FlatteryFlatterers acclaim Agrippa as divine. (19.344-45)Flatterers acclaim Agrippa as divine. (12:22)
Timing of illnessAgrippa struck just after flattery. (19.346-348)Agrippa struck just after flattery (12:23)
Reason for illnessHe did not rebuke the acclamation. (19.346-47)He did not defer the glory to God. (12:23)
SufferingHe suffered stomach pains for five days. (19.348-50)He was eaten by worms. (12:23).
End resultHe died. (19.350)He died. (12:23)

Reference, and table quoted from: Craig S. Keener, Acts: An Exegetical Commentary: Volume 2: 3:1–14:28, 2013, p. 1967.

Luke is telling the same story as Josephus, with the same outcome, but the details of his story are confined to those things relevant to the church’s story. As for Agrippa’s illness, modern scholars have offered a number of guesses as to what he died of: a ruptured appendix, intestinal roundworms, rupture of a digestive organ, or perforation of an abdominal wall. However he died, both writers go out of their way to tell us why he died—he was content to rival and try to surpass the glory of God.